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deliberateLIFE engages today's globally-conscious citizen in building a better tomorrow. We believe choices matter – so we vet ideas, products and organizations to make it easier for today's busy professionals to live well and do good.

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In
issue no. 2, we focused on love, conflict, art, war, and social
justice. These themes weave together well as we looked at valentines
day chocolate (which often includes forced child labor in the supply
chain), date ideas intended to encourage deeper interpersonal
connection, and how artists and designers are using their skills to help
address conflict, war, and injustice.

As you know, at
deliberateLIFE we focus on identifying the choices people can make, that
make a difference. So as we approached Valentines Day, a day that
American’s purchase around 58 million pounds (over $345 million USD) of
chocolate, finding some ‘guilt-free’ options for consumers, seemed like a
good idea. So, we did some research. Below is a quick excerpt from our article on chocolate.

Theobroma
cacao, the unprocessed pod, that when processed is turned into cocoa,
is indigenous to the Amazon Basin and the tropical areas of South and
Central America. Cacao was first cultivated over 2000 years ago.
Although cacao used to be a hidden gem of the Mayan empire, today 75% of
the cacao beans are harvested in the tropics of West Africa. According
to the International Cocoa Organization, the Ivory Coast alone produces
more than 35% of the world's cacao. Indonesia and Central America are
also large cacao producers. Learn more about the multi-step process from
pod to chocolate here.

Although
chocolate has a long history of notoriety, there is a bitter side to
its ‘sweet’ story. Just as slavery is known to exist in the production
of cotton, steel, oriental rugs, diamonds and silk, cocoa production
also lends itself to exploitative labor. Child labor and bonded slaves
are often used in the harvesting of the cacao pods. According to a US
government-funded study, over 1.8 million children work in West Africa’s
cacao industry. Many of these children are subject to unsafe working
conditions. This unsavory reality has stirred activists and businesses
alike to seek solutions....

Consumers
who wish to enjoy guilt-free treats now have many options available to
them. Possibly the easiest way to ensure that your chocolate is
ethically produced is to buy Fair Trade certified products. The Fair
Trade certified label guarantees that the farmers who were involved in
growing the raw materials in your chocolate receive fair prices for
their crops. It also ensures that slave labor and child labor were not
used during the production cycle. You can check out Fair Trade USA’s website here
for a list of chocolate manufacturers. It is important to note,
however, that there are companies making ethically sourced produces
that, for financial reasons, choose to forgo the Fair Trade
certification process. These companies may choose to develop
relationships directly with farmers, monitor their own supply chain and
label their products ‘direct trade’ or ‘ethically’ made. The benefit of
direct trade, some argue, is that producers can pay higher prices to
farmers due to the savings incurred by not going through the
certification process.

While
we at deliberateLIFE are strongly in favor of producers receiving the
best possible price, we do encourage supporting companies that undergo
external evaluation of their supply chain to maintain transparency. Note:
Organic products are definitely better for the environment and for
one’s health, but it’s important to note that ‘organic’ is not
synonymous with ‘slave-free’.

When
buying chocolate, there are a few things to keep in mind: First, look
at the ingredients. The simpler the ingredients, the better the
chocolate. There should only be very few ingredients, four to five at
the max and chocolate should not include ingredients that you don’t
recognize. The next checkpoint is certifications. Look for one or more
of the following: Fair Trade, Fair for Life, Rainforest Alliance and
USDA Organic.

Here are a few treats we think you should try.

Theo Chocolate is
organic. Their beans are sourced from multiple countries to ensure the
best bean possible. With excellent care taken from bean to bar, the Theo
Chocolate family makes small batches at a time to guarantee the best
taste. www.theochocolate.com

Divine:
A leading Fair Trade brand in the UK, and an agent in the world of
socially responsible enterprise, Divine Chocolate stems from Ghana and
is known for its quality and taste. www.divinechocolate.com

Green & Black’s:
Run by a husband and wife duo, Green & Black’s name is simple:
green for its organic qualities and black for its deep, rich flavor.
Made with 70% cocoa, their bars are almost black in color. www.greenandblacks.com

Endangered Species Chocolate
is on a mission to raise awareness about endangered animals while
selling natural and ethically traded chocolate. Each year, Endangered
Species Chocolate donates ten percent of their net profits to
non-profits. www.chocolatebar.com

Equal Exchange:
Always searching for new ways to improve the food system, Equal
Exchange offers a variety of products that consumers can feel good
about. With a commitment to only source from small organic shareholder
farmers, their chocolate is good for you and the producer. www.equalexchange.coop

In the middle of production for issue no. 2, several of our team were
invited to a wedding in Hawaii. Not wanting to miss out on the
celebrations, we took our work on the road. Below are some of the outtakes from the shoot in Hawaii.